Nearly 100 British citizens are expected to be able to leave Gaza for Egypt amid major diplomatic efforts to secure foreign nationals safe passage out of the territory through the Rafah border crossing.
Scotland’s first minister, Humza Yousaf, has shared the “deep personal relief” felt by his family as he confirmed his parents-in-law had managed to leave Gaza.
Elizabeth and Maged El-Nakla, the parents of Yousaf’s wife, Nadia El-Nakla, were named among scores of British nationals allowed to pass through the crossing into Egypt on Friday morning.
The list, published by the Palestinian Border Authority, named 127 people under the UK section, 92 of whom were described as British citizens.
The El-Naklas, from Dundee, were in Gaza visiting relatives when the conflict erupted. Yousaf has regularly shared updates on his family’s situation, including that they had to drink sea water due to a lack of clean resources.
Yousaf and El-Nakla said the last four weeks had been a “living nightmare” for their family.
Around 200 Britons in Gaza have registered with the authorities so far, and the total number the UK is trying to secure passage for is thought to be in the low hundreds.
The Foreign Office said on Thursday that more UK nationals were able to enter Egypt after two UK aid workers managed to flee Gaza a day earlier, but it declined to say how many.
The security minister Tom Tugendhat told Sky News he could not go into detail about the number of Britons expected to cross the border.
“I really can’t go into detail, for the very simply reason that there is a lot of moving parts, there is a lot of different issues that come together in those exit routes.
“Different families will have different pressures and different ways, so you will understand that it is not very easy to give a running commentary and it would be the wrong thing to do.”
A statement from Yousaf and El-Nakla on Friday said: “We are very pleased to confirm that Nadia’s parents were able to leave Gaza through the Rafah crossing this morning.
“We are very grateful to all of those who have assisted our parents over the last few weeks, including the FCDO [Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office] crisis team.
“These last four weeks have been a living nightmare for our family, we are so thankful for all of the messages of comfort and prayers that we have received from across the world, and indeed from across the political spectrum in Scotland and the UK.”
The couple said they would continue to call for an immediate ceasefire and the opening of a humanitarian corridor to help those who have not been able to leave.
They added: “Although we feel a sense of deep personal relief, we are heartbroken at the continued suffering of the people of Gaza. We will continue to raise our voices to stop the killing and suffering of the innocent people of Gaza.
“We reiterate our calls for all sides to agree to an immediate ceasefire, the opening of a humanitarian corridor so that significant amounts of aid, including fuel, can flow through to a population that have suffered collective punishment for far too long, and for all hostages to be released.
“Families in Gaza and Israel are suffering the loss of entirely innocent men, women and children. We pray for them all, and pray that the international community at last focuses on achieving a lasting peace in the region: one that recognises that the rights and lives of Palestinians and Israelis are equal.”
More of El-Nakla’s family – who are Palestinian citizens – remain in Gaza, including her brother who has been working as a doctor during the conflict.
Around two weeks ago, Elizabeth El-Nakla, a retired nurse, released a video from inside Deir Al-Balah, Gaza, asking:
“Where is humanity?… Where are people’s hearts in the world to let this happen in this day and age?”
